The FairTax does not put an increased burden on the poor. It literally “untaxes” them.

True.

The FairTax does not destroy the middle class.

However, the middle class is where the saving rate and Fair Tax intersect to the produce the maximum effective tax rate.

Scientologists had nothing to do with it.

True.

What is the truth behind the “you get to keep your whole paycheck” concept

Either you get your gross pay cut down to your current net or the price of everything your employer sells goes up 30%. There is no free lunch, no matter what the Fair Taxers try to tell you. And given the reality of wage inflexibility, the prices will almost certainly go up.

Retired Americans living on their investments and savings are not “double taxed” by the FairTax.

See above.

The FairTax rate will not have to be 40, 50 or 60 percent.

The idea that the Fair Tax rate will be 23% is based on a single paper that no one beside Jorgenson has ever seen.

The FairTax will not “destroy” our economy, no more than nutritious food would damage a starving child.

No, but it is certainly going to cause some shockwaves. Where do people get this idea that you can radically upheave 20% of our economy without a ripple?

This is standard nonsense from the Fair Tax crowd. But here’s what go me laughing:

Don’t you just love the idea of watching the moving vans pull up to those law offices on K Street after the FairTax is implemented? All those thousands of lawyer-lobbyists packing their gear to move off to greener pastures somewhere else … weeping at the loss of their six-figure incomes earned by manipulating the current tax system for the benefit of their clients.

Hahahahahahahaha. Hohohohohoho. Heeheeheeheeheehee.

Neal, do you think the lobbyists got rich by giving up? Do you think they won’t still be lobbying for every subsidy and regulatory exemption under the Sun?

And do you really think they won’t immediately try to monkey with the Fair Tax? To get certain industries exempted? To get the rate lowered for “important” industries? With the Fair Tax, the sugar industry will be screaming for rate cuts to protect them from “unfair” Mexican sugar. The steel industry will demand exemptions as an “anti-dumping” maneuver. The idea that we can use a magic bullet to curtail the influence of lobbyists — whether that bullet is called McCain-Feingold or the Fair Tax is childish nonsense.

The Fair Tax has become the rallying point of those who hate our current tax system. I sympathize. For a while, I was with them. I can’t stand the current system either. But this is not the way to fix it.

On Friday, the court said electrocution is unconstitutional, a stunning response to Dean, nine others on death row and those who question whether the electric chair constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

“Condemned prisoners must not be tortured to death, regardless of their crimes,” Judge William Connolly wrote in the 6-1 opinion for the court.

The decision erased Nebraska’s distinction as the only state with electrocution as its sole means of execution. State courts are left with the ability to sentence people to death but no way to carry out the penalty.

I’m not going to get into my dealth penalty views today. But I’ve been reading up on some of the history, which is quite gruesome. Lethal injection isn’t exactly humane either. The Lancet did a study years ago — still controversial — that many lethal injection subjects were aware and in excruciating pain when they died. Knowing what little I do of thiopental, that sounds right to me.

Universities are now trying to endanger the blood supply by refusing donations unless gay men are allowed. The Red Cross is on a shoestring and they do not have the resources to test all the blood they get. The only thing they have is rigorous screening. If you don’t like, donate enough money for them to test all their blood.

Driving away from the studios yesterday I tool a back route to avoid traffic. On one busy street corner I noticed a group of women waving Hillary signs. Sorry … but all I could do was stare at these women in absolute amazement. Who are these people? Who are these women that would actually vote for this dishonest and mean woman for president? Do these women all want to surrender the responsibilities for their lives to government? Do they really fear freedom that much? Do they really admire a woman who withstood the serial infidelities of her husband in order to preserve her position of power? Do they admire liars? Are they fans of sham marriages? Are their marriages shams also? Or … is it possible they just don’t have a clue what the hell they are working for?

All I can do is just drive by and stare .. stare in absolute amazement.

I feel the same way. To me, Obama is so obviously a better candidate — hell, even I could vote for him — that the support for the divisive, nasty, statist Clinton baffles me. I guess someone people want that in a President. After all, we just enjoyed seven years of it.

In academia, the job application cycle is a six-month ordeal. I put in my first applications in November. So far, I’ve gotten one rejection. It’s only thanks to the rumor mill that I know that at least a few more jobs are interviewing and are probably not going to be offered my way. But it will be at least March and possibly later before I know that I’m truly on the way out.

Grants are even worse. I put in two NSF grants but will not hear about them until May or even June (after my funding runs out). Moreover, if I get them, the money will not flow until September if not later. So I’m facing at least a few months without a salary, unless I can find someone willing to make a short-term hire. And I may have to figure out a way to quit my job and then be rehired or I will lose several thousand dollars worth of accumulated vacation pay come August 31.

I still have no idea what I’m going to do if nothing pans out — which seems about 2 to 1 will happen. Sue has pointed out that we can tread water on her salary and I can try to live my dream of being a novelist — finish that book I’m 60,000 words into or the one 10,000 words in. This seems like the most likely course. But it’s scary being out here in limbo — waiting to here some news, any news. I’m working as hard as I can just in case something does work out. But knowing it may all be for nothing doesn’t exactly inspire one’s best productivity.

It’ll be a pity if I have to leave. This last year has been one of my most productive in terms of papers and proposals. There was a time when I was quite lazy about my work. But that changed when I came to Texas. It’s appearing likely that it will be a matter of too little, too late.

As I said in an earlier post, I’ll have no regrets if I end up leaving astronomy. And I’m sure, with a PhD and a long resume, finding work will not be a problem unless the economy completely collapses. But it’s not an easy time. And that knot in my chest is not going to unravel for a long time.

So you’ll understand if my posts here and at RTLC tend to be a bit vitriolic. Most of the day, I’m working and too busy to fret. Or I’m taking care of my daughter and enjoying the moments. But at night, when I blog, the future looms awfully bleak.

Actually, you know when waiting gets the worst? When you get an e-mail. My work computer will tell me — sometimes interrupting what I’m doing — that I’ve gotten an e-mail and who it’s from. Knowing the chairs of all the job commitees and the program officers at NSF by heart, I instantly recognize when something job related has come down. There’s this moment when you hesitate. For me, I know that getting an e-mail, rather than a call, is not generally good. And I’m familiar with that horrible sense of disappointment — it begins even before I’ve read the mail. It’s at times like that that the universe stops, sounds and sights grow more intense, the hairs on your body stand up. For that knowledge of pending disappointment is threaded with a silver trace of hope. And then it comes crashing down when your eyes, without reading anything else, lock onto that word “regret”. There’s a sense of disappointment, but also one of relief.

Yes, the waiting is the hardest part.

I’ve been through this before, of course. When I applied to grad schools the first time, I got rejected. But I was 21, enjoying college and had a year to build up the resume while working in my dad’s office. The next year, acceptances came early, alleviating any stress. When I applied for my current job, it was offered the position in December. No stress at all. Last year, I knew I had a little grant funding left and could eek out one last year. It was stressful, but too bad.

The only comparable moment to what I’m going through now was my last year of grad school, when I didn’t even get short-listed until February. This is worse. Then, I was 28. Now I’m 35. Then, I was very single. Now, I’m married with a little baby. Then, I was living in a small apartment. Now, I’ve got a mortgage and bills.

I feel like I have learned which religion is correct, and it is not my own.

I feel like aliens have been walking among us, and they have chosen to reveal themselves en masse.

I feel like my life has been one great science experiment, and I am not in the control group.

I’ve got a mini-notebook filled with play-by-play notes and reactions, but … we all saw the game. The Patriots’ pass protection was futile. If the Giants blitzed, the blitzer came through unblocked. If they rushed four, those four got pressure anyway. The Patriots were outschemed (Steve Spagnuolo is a genius) and outmanned.

When Brady did have time, he was highly erratic. One example: He’s got Randy Moss open on first-and-goal in the fourth quarter, and throws it way high and outside. Didn’t matter much, because he found him on third down, but it was the most notable example of his un-Brady day.

The Patriots got away from their identity for the first 55 minutes of this game. Where were the slants and quick outs? They didn’t show up until that last touchdown drive. It seemed like Brady was looking for the home run every play, and some of those sacks came because he held the ball too long.

I still can’t believe this, but the Patriots were completely outcoached today.

I’m not sure what exactly to say about the Giants offense vs. the Patriots defense — that’s the only part of this game that went largely as expected. Eli Manning was great again, really going without a turnover (that interception was clearly not his fault, and the Giants recovered both of his fumbles) and leading two go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter. Is that a Super Bowl first?

So, here’s what we say about the Giants: They were a very ordinary team for 17 weeks. They then caught absolute fire (Has any team ever beaten three better teams than Dallas/Green Bay/New England in the playoffs?) and won the Super Bowl. Why did that catch us off guard? Because there was no indication this was going to happen. It’s unprecedented. It’s inexplicable. It defies all rational thought.

Jordin Sparks’ singing of the anthem was very good. Man, she’s got some pipes.

Jesus, do we have to put with the dancing robot for the entire game?

The opening drive was an example of how NY has been winning. They have gotten much better performance on 3rd down than any other. As Football Outsiders has demonstrated, that’s not sustainable. But it only has to last three more quarters.

Nice solid answer by New England. But a rare lapse with that kickoff. Doh!

A couple of generous referee calls (on Buress’ drop and Toomer’s shove) are wiped out by a pick. The difference in Eli Manning, Superbowl Hero is not that he’s suddenly a great QB — his passer rating is not too hot. It’s that he’s getting good protection and not fucking up. You can go far with that. Just ask Trent Dilfer.

An ugly series for the Giants with a sack and fumble. I don’t understand something, however. It was clear on replay that the New England player (a) had the ball and (b) was down before the ball was ripped away by Bradshaw. Why is this allowed?

The dancing lizards spot wasn’t bad.

Neither offense is playing very well.

That peanut monobrow ad was cute.

The Giants line is having a monster game. They’re just about the only ones who are. This is the first time all year that Brady has been harassed like this.

That was an odd first half. The defenses are controlling it. New England is controlling the run and forcing Manning to step up. The Giants line is playing out of their mind. I have to expect that the holes in the NY secondary will be exploited in the second half. Randy Moss has been awfully quiet this post-season.

Dumb challenge by Belichick. No way are the officials going to give them the ball back — even with clear evidence that there were 12 men on. Oops. I was wrong (in my defense, they showed a lousy angle before the call). I was also wrong as I thought Belichick would immediately follow the call with a homerun ball to Moss.

Fuck. Can’t even Belichick figure out what Green Bay did? Screen plays don’t work well against the Giants.

God, I really don’t want to see Eli Manning win the Superbowl. The Patriots defense is breaking.

Here’s a prediction: if the Giants win, Eli Manning will join a long list of undeserving Super Bowl MVPs.

Giants defenders are getting away with quite a bit of rough-housing.

With 8 minutes left, if the Patriots don’t score here, it’s over. The defense did their job.

The story on that drive will be Brady (assuming Manning doesn’t pull off a Drive of his own). But the *real* story was that the Giant DL suddenly stopped getting to Brady. Given time, he tore the secondary apart.

4th and 1. Eli up the middle?

Here’s a question: 1 minute left. 3 times out. Do you let the Giants score if they get close enough so that you have some clock left?

How the fuck do you leave Buress uncovered?

Oh God, the ’72 Dolphins are going to be intolerable now.

I’ll go ahead and say it: the Patriots were the better team but the Giants had a great game. The MVP will go to Manning who can now join his brother as an undeserving Super Bowl MVP. The real MVP was the Giants D-line.

So why do we bother? In part, because sometimes we do have an impact. Anybody remember Harriet Miers? In part, because we’ve got the writing bug and the new media allows us to bypass the traditional gate keepers that controlled access to the public. We write because, as somebody famous whose name I can’t remember said, we have to. And maybe, just maybe, there’s a little narcissist in all of us.

First, off, the “have to” part. Writing has an addictive quality. I got hooked on the stuff back in college but manage to control my habit most of the time. But if I had a million dollars, I’d write full time (and, if my grants run out, I might do that anyway). I’ve been blogging at my own site for 2.5 years, mostly into silence. It doesn’t bother me. The process is the reward.

But, yeah, there is the narcissistic part. Everyone who blogs thinks he has something interesting to say even though only a tiny fraction do. When Lee, a very good blogger, asked me to blog first at Moorewatch and then at Right-Thinking, it was a great ego moment.

Of course, the disadvantage is that I can now make a fool of myself to a wider audience. But at least it’s a quiet humiliation.

A year ago, the blog collapsed under the weight of tens of thousands of spam posts per day. All my old posts are lost beyond that event horizon. I rebooted with wordpress and it’s been good to me. Askimet and user registration have blocked almost everything and blog traffic is way down (a good thing when 99.99% of your previous traffic was spam).